Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isabella Martino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Isabella thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Having the courage 2 years ago to leave an environment that no longer served me has changed my life’s trajectory in every single way. I gathered my belongings and took an incredible leap of faith to move away from my family home, not confident in the slightest as to what the future would hold. My family was all I had ever known, but when the people closest to you are choosing not to love you in the ways you need — truly feeling seen, heard, understood, or accepted — it weakens your mind, body & spirit. My life didn’t feel like my own and that scared me. Although this fear was heavy beyond measure, it was far lesser than the fear I had of remaining the same. So, an elder friend of mine took me in for a couple months to help me get on my feet and by summer 2023, I found 2 trustworthy artist friends I knew I could rely upon & grow with and we rented a home together. We’re a team, and we’ve built something very special. Something that felt so out of reach and frankly impossible before.
The adjustment period was rough: the trauma of it all resulted in unhealthy weight loss and stress on my body, and I even took a bit of a break from creating. Yet, I quickly learned that finding solace and strength in my friendships is what would get me through the most difficult times. I got better, and so did my art. I finally had the capacity to heal.
Recently, 2 new hefty risks were made. One was quitting my day job of nearly five years, and investing my time and energy into a small, independent business. I had been working for Hobby Lobby in the frame shop there since Covid hit and reached the point of no return this past winter. The burnout was so great that I took a hard look at my situation and knew that in order to move forward, in order to better invest in my art career, I had to leave. I found a local frame shop and feel much happier serving my community there. This decision taught me that, although Hobby Lobby did serve its purpose for a while, I had to overcome that false sense of security and comfortability of what was familiar. I am not stuck anywhere, and working for a large corporation where I am not valued as an individual is not where I need to be. My time belongs to me, and I can choose how I spend it, including my place of employment. Nothing is permanent, only how I treat others and conduct myself. So, for now, I’m a proud framer who is also a working artist, and I feel grateful I can actively use and grow both skill sets.
I also went through a breakup in April, which has yielded a lot of uncertainty. The risk of letting go of my first love, the person I chose to build a future with, who I‘ve invested 3 1/2 years of my life to … and instead, choosing myself? It almost feels like an act of rebellion. And now, navigating this chapter without a partner feels strange. However, I know that I’ve made the best decision. My body has always told me when something isn’t right. It may take a while to catch on, but I listen. He and I have chosen to remain friends because we respect each other. And most importantly, I believe in growth and redemption because I know maturity and humility exists. People are everything to me. So, I also believe that one day my family and I will find our way back to each other. Betting on the people we love is a risk in itself, and I will always choose to take that risk.
Isabella, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a proud alumna of the University of North Georgia. I graduated in 2019 with my Bachelor’s in Studio Art, and minors in Anthropology and Chemistry. A complete 180 & surprise to many, I had been a science student since high school and was expected to pursue a career in medicine … until 2017 when I took my first ever painting class! The year prior, my father passed from cancer, and what felt most pressing on my heart was how swiftly life can be taken from us. Although I love my dad so much, I realized how very little I actually knew about his life and wondered if he was content with what he did. I knew he just wanted me to be happy and I owed him and myself that truth. Even though I enjoyed chemistry, my heart belonged to the arts. It brought out the best in me and challenged me in ways I needed.
Choosing to be an artist was the best decision I think I could have made as a young woman. An unconventional path, indeed, but one I was ready to take. It satisfied my love of problem solving and expressing myself creatively, and once I began portraiture, there was no turning back. I started out painting my most convenient subject – myself. I also painted actors and musicians I really admired to help practice proportions and a variety of facial features and skin tones. My senior thesis project my last semester of college is when my work took a clearer direction thematically. It dealt mainly with introspection via the use of symbolism and surrealism, much of what my work today consists of. After college, I continued portraiture by experimenting more with color palettes and increasing the scale of my canvases. And in 2022, I was commissioned by a musician friend, Jaime, to paint his portrait intended for the cover art to his very first self-produced album titled, Cora Speaks. His Native American and Mexican heritage, as well as his love of and life’s work in music, is represented here. Together we have helped each other achieve goals as creatives. To me, that’s the whole point — using what I can offer to aid someone in reaching their dreams. And this painting gave me the confidence to propel forward in my own career and essentially led me to the next wave of portraits I would pursue — particularly the collaborative series my two best friends, Aida Alarcón & Juleah Everglade, and I created a year after moving in together called HOW I SEE HER.
Our home quickly became a working studio and a soft place to land – filled with sleepovers on the couch, hosting intimate get-togethers, binging NPR Tiny Desks, elaborate meals made from scratch, and late-night painting sessions … all leading to the conception of this body of work.
We each completed a self-portrait with the intention of defining our own narrative in how we are presented to the world. Whereas the portraits we depict of each other reveal the beauty that we don’t always see in ourselves. This act of deep understanding highlights how women embody the capability to form meaningful relationships and truly witness their friends. This collection of paintings features nostalgic iconography and personal mementos that all pertain to where we came from and where we are now, reflecting on girlhood and memories we’ve made together as women.
HOW I SEE HER actively references themes of healing while celebrating the inner child, the power of female friendships, and romanticizing this experience of living life together.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Fortunately, it takes $0 to show support for one another. And for artists, a simple share of their work or post online, leaving a kind, intentional comment, physically attending an artist’s exhibitions, openings, artist talks and events, gathering for a group critique of work, leaving a website review, reading their blogs, subscribing to their mailing list … Everything goes such a long way!
And for those who can afford the investment – buying original art is one of the best ways to support your local artists. The great feeling of pride within me when someone resonates with my work enough to buy it is indescribable. I’m 29 years old, and when someone asks me how long it took to create a single piece or body of work, I tell them 29 years. Every bit of me goes into my paintings. Please shop small and invest in your community. All the murals around town that help beautify the public spaces, the art galleries and museums filled with emerging and established artists, the students at their universities and high schools working hard towards their end-of-semester projects, artists vending at pop-ups, farmer’s markets, art festivals, you name it. Supporting your local creatives helps make your community thrive.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Over the course of my life, I’ve attempted to define the true meaning of home. I now finally understand what it feels like to exist, grow, and be at peace in a space I can call my own with the help of my female friendships and chosen family. As an artist I feel it is my duty to highlight, via portraiture, the spirit of the many men & women in my circle who continue to inspire me daily and who embody the strength and grace it takes to build and maintain that sense of home.
Everything I do is rooted in the celebration of the connections we make with each other because I wouldn’t be where I am today without the kindness and generosity of those who came before me and those who stand with me. My craft is how I can use my agency and voice to share the stories of me and my friends. I truly feel portraiture can inspire hope and create connection within a community when people are able to see themselves in the art around them. Art is at the heart of any community because it is a direct reflection of the culture within it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @frizzysalamander
Image Credits
All photos belong to Isabella Martino.